QUESTION:
My customer is currently hardcoding passwords for FTP on their
MVS JES job so as to send data via FTP to AIX FTP user. They would
like to eliminate the passwords, so I suggested that they consider
LPR/LPD. I thought that maybe you could code the LPR request in
the JCL and have it execute the print job to the LPD function
at the AIX RS/6000. However, they just want to route the data to a
file - not to a printer. Is this possible? Can we redirect a
dummy printer to a file and use it as the file? I suppose we
might need to do some massaging to get rid of imbedded print
characters but I thought it was worth investigating.
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A: Yes, it is possible to redirect items submitted to the .print. queue
to file. It is also possible to do so without the embedding of any
printer codes. The method for doing so involves creating a new print
queue which is not associated with any real printer and which uses the
"backend" of your choice (which will do the redirecting).
Below I have outlined the steps. Please note, since this process
involves using a custom backend, this queue will not be supported by
IBM.
Step 1. Create a new print queue.
- As root, enter the following command and fastpath to start smit:
smit mklque
- In the "Name of queue to add" field, enter a name for the print
queue (call it anything you like).
- In the "NAME of device to add" field, enter a name for the
device to add. You may call the device anything you like. You
may wish to give the device name the same name as the queue.
- In the "BACKEND PROGRAM pathname" field, enter the absolute
pathname of a script which you will be creating in the next step
You may place this script anywhere which you like, although
placing it in the /usr/lpd directory would be advisable. For
example, you may wish to enter "/usr/lpd/mybackend" in this
field.
- Ensure that "Print HEADER pages?", "Print TRAILER pages?", and
"ALIGN pages between files within jobs" are set to "NEVER" (or
"NO").
- Select "Do."
Step 2. Create the new backend.
- Create a script which has an absolute pathname the same as that
entered in the "BACKEND PROGRAM pathname" field above. For
example, create a script with the name "mybackend" in the
"/usr/lpd" directory. A sample script which simply sends all
jobs submitted to that print queue to a file "/output" is
provided below.
Please note, AIX Technical Support does not do programming or
script writing services. The script below is a sample script
and is in no way supported by IBM. It is provided to guide you
in the creation of your own script.
#¢ /bin/ksh
cat $1 > /output
In case your printer is unable to print any of the above
characters, the first line reads "pound, exclamation-mark,
space forward slash, bin, forward slash, ksh." The second
line reads "cat, space, dollar sign, 1, space, greater-than,
space, forward slash, output."
When the backend is called, the first command line parameter
($1) will be the absolute pathname of the file to be "printed"
most probably located in a spool directory. This example
slimply copies that file to the desired file.
The result of this procedure is that an exact replica of whatever is
submitted to the print queue is sent to the file "/output". To allow
users on other machines to access this print queue, simply define it
as a remote printer queue as normal.
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This item was created from library item Q650473 CNTWT
Additional search words:
CNTWT COMMUNICATIO FILE FILES IX JAN94 LPD OZNEW PRINT PRINTABLE
PRINTER PRINTING PRT REDIRECT RISCSYSTEM RISCTCP SOFTWARE TCPIP
WWQA: ITEM: RTA000037591 ITEM: RTA000037591
Dated: 04/1996 Category: RISCPRT
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